The Commission on Capital Cases updates this information regularly

The Commission on Capital Cases updates this information regularly. This information, however, is subject to change and may not reflect the latest status of an inmate’s case and should not be relied upon for statistical or legal purposes.

EVANS, Paul H. (W/M)

DC# 572349

DOB: 01/30/72

Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Indian River County Case # 97-754

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Robert A. Hawley

Attorney, Trial: Mark Harllee – Assistant Public Defender

Attorney, Direct Appeal: Gary Caldwell – Assistant Public Defender

Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Suzanne Keffer & Christina Spudeas – CCRC-S

Date of Offense: 03/23/91

Date of Sentence: 06/16/99

Circumstances of Offense:

The murder of Alan Pfeiffer was the result of a murder-for-hire conspiracy involving Connie Pfeiffer (Alan Pfeiffer’s wife), Paul Evans, Sarah Thomas (Evans’ girlfriend), and Donna Waddell (Evans’ roommate).

A few weeks prior to the murder, Connie Pfeiffer approached several individuals regarding the killing of her husband, but each individual refused. Connie Pfeiffer’s co-worker, Donna Waddell, suggested that her roommate, Paul Evans, might be willing to commit the murder. On the morning of 03/23/91, Evans, Pfeiffer, and Waddell arranged the Pfeiffer’s trailer to look as if a robbery had taken place, stacking electronic equipment near the back door of the trailer.

After the trailer was arranged, Waddell and Evans went to Waddell’s house to steal her father’s gun. Evans, Thomas, and Waddell went to the fair that evening, but later left to go to the trailer. Thomas and Waddell dropped Evans off at the trailer, where he was to wait for Alan Pfeiffer to arrive and then shoot him. Evans arranged for Thomas and Waddell to pick him up at the trailer one to two hours after they dropped him off.

On 03/23/91, Alan Pfeiffer left work at 7:30 p.m. for the thirty-minute drive to the trailer. Neighbors testified that gunshots were heard coming from the Pfeiffer’s trailer between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. After picking up Evans at the trailer, Evans, Thomas, and Waddell went back to the fair, where they met up with Connie Pfeiffer. Early the next morning, police found Alan Pfeiffer’s body on the living room floor with three gunshot wounds – two in the head and one in the spine.

After an investigation in which no arrests were made, the case grew cold and was eventually closed. In 1997, six years after the murder, the case was reopened and the investigation focused on Evans, Connie Pfeiffer, Waddell, and Thomas. Thomas first agreed to cooperate with police and wore a wire to get incriminating statements from Waddell. Waddell was arrested, and when presented with the tape-recorded statements, she also agreed to cooperate with the police. As a result of the statements of Thomas and Waddell, Evans and Connie Pfeiffer were implicated in the murder and arrested.

Codefendant Information:

Connie Pfeiffer was convicted of First-Degree Murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. Donna Waddell pled guilty to Second-Degree Murder and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. Sarah Thomas, who was 16 years old at the time of the murder, testified at the trial but was never charged with a crime.

Prior Incarceration History in the State of Florida:

At the time of the murder, Evans was on probation for a Burglary charge. Additionally, he had several property crime convictions and sentences of probation. The following is Evans’ Community Supervision History with both the Florida Department of Corrections and with correctional agencies of other states.

Offense Date	Offense	Sentence Date	County	Case No.	Community Supervision Length
04/05/1990	SHOPLIFTING	10/17/1990	INDIAN RIVER	9000359	0Y 6M 0D
04/05/1990	BURG/N/ASSLT/OCC.STRUCT.	10/17/1990	INDIAN RIVER	9000359	2Y 0M 0D
11/10/1994	BURG/DWELL/OCCUP.CONVEY	10/19/1995	INTERSTATE	9400048	3Y 2M 30D
11/11/1994	GRAND THEFT,300 L/5,000	05/17/1995	INTERSTATE	9517845	2Y 0M 1D

Trial Summary:

08/06/97 Indicted on one count of First-Degree Murder

02/11/99 Jury returned a guilty verdict

02/12/99 Jury recommended a death sentence by a vote of 9-3

06/16/99 Sentenced to death

Appeal Summary:

Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal

FSC# SC96404

808 So. 2d 92

08/30/99 Appeal filed

12/13/01 FSC affirmed conviction and sentence

02/12/02 Rehearing denied and Mandate issued

U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari

USSC# 02-5345

537 U.S. 951

07/19/02 Petition filed

10/15/02 USSC denied Petition

Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion

CC# 97-754

10/03/03 Motion filed

06/06/05 CC denied motion

Florida Supreme Court – 3.851 Motion Appeal

FSC# 05-1617

995 So. 2d 933

09/06/05 Appeal filed

08/28/08 Appeal denied

Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

FSC# 07-494

995 So. 2d 933

03/14/07 Petition filed

08/28/08 Appeal denied

United States District Court, Southern District – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

USDC# 08-14402

12/01/08 Petition filed

Case Information:

Evans filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 08/30/99, citing fourteen errors, many of which revolved around issues of witness testimony and the delay between the crime and the indictment. The FSC affirmed the conviction and sentence on 12/13/01.

Evans filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on 07/19/02 that was denied on 10/15/02.

Evans filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on 10/03/03 that was denied on 06/06/05.

Evans filed a 3.851 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 09/06/05 that was denied on 08/28/08.

Evans filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 03/14/07 that was denied on 08/28/08.

Evans filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the United States District Court on 12/01/08 that is pending.

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Report Date: 05/15/03 JFL

Approved: 06/10/03 WS

Updated: 04/20/09 KLH